Toy gun

ABSTRACT

A toy gun includes a barrel to be loaded with a number of soft projectiles, a firing bay, an exit passage, a motor-driven accelerator mechanism for accelerating the soft projectiles from the firing bay through the exit passage, a delivery mechanism for transferring the soft projectiles in the barrel to the firing bay, a motor-driven shunting mechanism for shunting the individual projectiles in the firing bay for engagement by the accelerator mechanism, a trigger mechanism, and electrical switches in circuit with the motor-driven accelerator mechanism and motor-driven shunting mechanism, the switches being manipulated by the trigger mechanism in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to toy guns. More particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to a motor-driven toy gun for shooting a succession of soft projectiles or darts.

Toy guns of the type which fire soft projectiles are known to fire a single projectile in response to each trigger-activation. That is, to fire three projectiles for example, the trigger must be activated three times.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage and/or more generally to provide an alternative toy gun in which a succession of soft projectiles can be fired upon a single trigger-activation.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein a toy gun, comprising:

-   -   a barrel to be loaded with a plurality of soft projectiles;     -   a firing bay;     -   an exit passage;     -   a motor-driven accelerator mechanism for accelerating the soft         projectiles from the firing bay through the exit passage;     -   a delivery mechanism for transferring the soft projectiles in         the barrel to the firing bay;     -   a motor-driven shunting mechanism for shunting the individual         projectiles in the firing bay for engagement by the accelerator         mechanism;     -   a trigger mechanism; and     -   electrical switches in circuit with the motor-driven accelerator         mechanism and motor-driven shunting mechanism, the switches         being manipulated by the trigger mechanism in use.

Preferably, the motor-driven accelerator mechanism comprises a pair of counter-rotating wheels between which the projectiles pass as the wheels engage with the projectiles.

Preferably, the delivery mechanism comprises a motor-driven gearbox, a crank driven by the gearbox, a reciprocal carriage driven by the crank and engaging the barrel to incrementally rotate the barrel at each reciprocation of the carriage.

Preferably, the barrel includes an array of notches individually engageable by the carriage.

Preferably, the shunting mechanism comprises a motor, a gearbox driven by the motor, a crank driven by the gearbox, and a reciprocal rod driven by the crank for engagement with the projectiles.

Preferably, the shunting mechanism comprises a reciprocal rod driven by the crank for engagement with the projectiles.

Preferably, the crank engages at one end portion to the carriage, and is attached at the other end portion to the reciprocal rod and wherein the gearbox is attached to the crank at a position between said one and other end portions.

Preferably, the switches comprise:

-   -   a first switch engageable upon trigger depression to activate         the motor-driven accelerator mechanism; and     -   a second switch engageable upon further trigger depression to         activate the motor-driven shunting mechanism.

Preferably, the toy gun further comprises a third switch engageable by the crank at a certain angle thereof to deactivate the motor-driven shunting mechanism.

DEFINITION

As used herein, the term “barrel” is intended to encompass any type of multiple projectile-holding contrivance such as a rotating gun barrel having a circular array of apertures each for receiving individual projectiles, or a magazine containing one or more linear arrays of projectiles for example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevation of internal parts of a toy gun;

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevation of those parts shown in FIG. 1 and additional parts of the toy gun;

FIG. 3 is a schematic elevation primarily depicting a gearbox—being one of those parts of the toy gun;

FIGS. 4 to 6 comprise a sequence of schematic elevations depicting internal parts of the toy gun during various degrees of trigger-activation;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic elevations depicting the barrel-turning sequence;

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan illustration of the accelerator mechanism;

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective illustration of the accelerator mechanism; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic circuit diagram associated with the toy gun.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIGS. 1 to 10 of the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically various internal components of a toy gun 10 adapted to fire a rapid succession of soft darts which shall be hereinafter be referred to as “projectiles”.

The toy gun mechanism comprises a trigger 20 having a trigger return spring 19. A first switch 11 and second switch 12 are positioned adjacent to the trigger 20.

An electric motor 16 drives a gearbox 18—the output of which is connected to a carriage 17 which in turn swings a crank 14.

The forward end of the gun comprises a projectile exit nozzle 26. A barrel 27 houses a number of projectiles 21 and is mounted to rotate about an axis parallel with the intended initial trajectory of the projectiles from the nozzle 26.

The upper end of the crank 14 is connected to a rod 15. A rod return spring 19 maintains a backward tension on the rod 15 as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 5.

A third switch 13 is position just behind the crank 14 and is engaged by the crank repeatedly as the crank pivotally oscillates.

A reciprocal carriage 17 is engaged by a contact point 28 of a lower portion of the crank 14. The carriage 17 has a leading end which engages upon reciprocation with an array of notches 29 formed on the barrel 27.

A pair of counter-rotating motors 22 and 23 drive a corresponding pair of counter-rotating wheels 24 and 25. These are positioned inside the exit nozzle 26 and are intended to accelerate a projectile as the projectile is presented in between the wheels in use.

A circuit diagram indicating the first, second and third switches 11, 12 and 13 respectively is shown in FIG. 11. The circuit diagram also shows motors 22, 23 and 16 and a power source is indicated by a conventional battery symbol. A set of batteries would be housed within the toy gun. These may be rechargeable or disposable types.

In use, the trigger 20 is drawn back slightly so as to engage with the first switch 11. This activates motors 22 and 23 to commence rapid counter-rotation of the accelerator wheels 24 and 25. Upon further depression of the trigger 20, it will engage switch 12 to activate motor 16 which in turn drives the gearbox 18 to commence reciprocation of the crank 14. As the upper portion of the crank 14 moves to the right (forward), the lower portion of the crank 14 moves to the left (backward). As the upper portion of the crank moves forward, the rod 15 also moves forward to push a projectile 21 from the barrel 27 into a position between the counter-rotating accelerator wheels 24 and 25 whereupon the projectile is accelerated and fired out of the nozzle 26.

During backwards movement of the rod 15 under the tension of spring 19, the crank 14 engages switch 13 to stop the motor 16. Moreover, switch 13 is in the ON position only when the crank 14 has moved away from the switch as shown in FIG. 5.

When the crank moves in an anticlockwise direction, its bottom portion bears against the carriage 17 at contact point 28. This moves the carriage to the right. As the carriage moves to the right, its forward end passes between the notches 29 on the barrel 27 to cause the barrel to advance by one increment. This stepwise advancement of the barrel continues until the trigger is released. Each time that the barrel is moved to the next increment, a projectile is moved into the acceleration position between the acceleration wheels by the rod and is consequently fired by the toy gun.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, you rather than providing a trigger to activate the first and second switches, the toy gun could be provided with a pair of switches manipulated directly by the player. Furthermore, rather than providing a barrel containing a circular array of projectiles, a magazine containing a linear array of projectiles could equally be adopted. 

1. A toy gun, comprising: a barrel to be loaded with a plurality of soft projectiles; a firing bay; an exit passage; a motor-driven accelerator mechanism for accelerating the soft projectiles from the firing bay through the exit passage; a delivery mechanism for transferring the soft projectiles in the barrel to the firing bay; a motor-driven shunting mechanism for shunting the individual projectiles in the firing bay for engagement by the accelerator mechanism; a trigger mechanism; and electrical switches in circuit with the motor-driven accelerator mechanism and motor-driven shunting mechanism, the switches being manipulated by the trigger mechanism in use.
 2. The toy gun of claim 1, wherein the motor-driven accelerator mechanism comprises a pair of counter-rotating wheels between which the projectiles pass as the wheels engage with the projectiles.
 3. The toy gun of claim 1, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises a motor-driven gearbox, a crank driven by the gearbox, a reciprocal carriage driven by the crank and engaging the barrel to incrementally rotate the barrel at each reciprocation of the carriage.
 4. The toy gun of claim 3, wherein the barrel includes an array of notches individually engageable by the carriage.
 5. The toy gun of claim 1, wherein the shunting mechanism comprises a motor, a gearbox driven by the motor, a crank driven by the gearbox, and a reciprocal rod driven by the crank for engagement with the projectiles.
 6. The toy gun of claim 4, wherein the shunting mechanism comprises a reciprocal rod driven by the crank for engagement with the projectiles.
 7. The toy gun of claim 6, wherein the crank engages at one end portion to the carriage, and is attached at the other end portion to the reciprocal rod and wherein the gearbox is attached to the crank at a position between said one and other end portions.
 8. The toy gun of claim 1, wherein the switches comprise: a first switch engageable upon trigger depression to activate the motor-driven accelerator mechanism; and a second switch engageable upon further trigger depression to activate the motor-driven shunting mechanism.
 9. The toy gun of claim 7, further comprising a third switch engageable by the crank to deactivate the motor-driven shunting mechanism. 